The other day she smelled a skunk across the street and went after it with the usual results. Phew!

Fortunately, it appears she wasn’t sprayed full on so the smell wasn’t so bad, but very noticeable.

There’s a first time for everything. Did I mention it was 3:00 A.M.?

So, a quick search of the Web showed that a combination of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda will do the job very effectively. But the ingredients were not available. They are now.

As soon as I got home, even before I searched the ‘net, I sprayed Chloe with a combination of Terra Biosa, molasses and water. Since I know that Biosa, the active ingredient of bokashi, helps stop the smells of composting, I thought it would help. I was right. There was about a 20 minute delay before we got Chloe into the bath and washed her down with a dog shampoo. Later that day, as I walking her about, I asked three strangers if they could smell the skunk odour on her.

Hi, my name is Chloe and I am a 5 yr old large mixed breed, probably some chow, possibly some schnauzer or terrier and perhaps a hint of shepherd. Everyone who meets me thinks I am pretty special. I adore people and getting lots of affection. I will sit by your side and soak up the love for as long as you will let me. I haven’t had much affection in my life so I am trying to make up for lost time. I am good with other dogs but am not particularly interested in playing with them – I prefer the company of people. I am good with little people too but I like to chase after cats and other small animals. I am a big girl, weighing in at 88 lbs and am a medium energy dog. I am not too pully on the leash but will need some training to heel. I know how to sit and come and am eager to please and very smart so I can learn whatever you would like to teach me. I am not a barker and I don’t jump up either but I will wag my tail furiously and smile from ear to ear when when you come home. As with all dogs I would love a home where someone is home most of the day or can take me with them to work. My adoption fee is $250.

If you want to grow food successfully in containers, nurturing soil life can make a huge difference. Worm compost, for example, is full of microbes and life. Add it to your containers and you will get more vigorous growth, and far fewer pest and disease problems. Discovering this, was the biggest turning point in my growing (more important, even, than self watering containers), transforming sporadic successes into something more consistent.

Why is soil life important?

Healthy organic soil in the natural world supports a web of life including bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes as well as larger creatures like worms and slugs. These organisms play a vital role in the life of plants. They break down organic matter to make the nutrients available for plant roots. They condition the soil and create air spaces and tunnels in it – improving aeration and drainage. And they compete with other more harmful organisms in the soil, ones that will damage your plants if left unchecked.

Soil life is complex – so the above is just my attempt to summarise some of the main benefits you can expect when you add life to your containers!

Why do you need to add life to containers?

Most commercial composts that we buy are sterilised and low in microbial life. So is municipal compost (it has to be made at hot temperatures to kill pathogens, killing much of the beneficial life, too). So if you want life in your containers – and to mimic soil in the natural world – you need to add it.

1. Worm compost

2. Homemade compost

3. Leaf mould

4. Manure

5. Bokashi

Bokashi is Japanese method of composting food quickly in a tightly sealed bucket. Benefits of bokashi are that you can add almost any food (even meat), it works quickly, can be done in a very small space, and doesn’t smell (much). The drawbacks are that you need to buy bokashi bran for it to work, and the pickled product is not as versatile as worm compost. But you can add it to the bottom of containers to add both organic matter and microorganisms.

Mix about 10 – 20% into the compost in the bottom third of a container.